Popular conceptions of Hinduism’s Yoga and Vedanta traditions have tended to articulate embodiment as a problematic state to be transcended. And yet these traditions also emphasize the need to live in, and engage with, the world of matter; indeed, for all but a few monastics, the sphere of embodiment is the battlefield we will invariably find ourselves on. How do we reconcile the apparent paradox? In this seminar, we will do a deep dive into one of the most beloved analogies offered in ancient India’s wisdom texts– the chariot of the self, found in the Katha Upanishad. Instructor Vineet Chander, Hindu chaplain at Princeton University and Vedanta Studies Fellow at NYU, will unpack each facet of the analogy and present a fresh take on the lessons it presents us with. The seminar will journey from the abstract and theoretical to the practical and applicable, inviting us to consider how living out the analogy may offer us a radical approach to living a life of awareness, intention, and grace.
Sanskrit texts were traditionally taught through oral transmission or śruti paramparā. It is thought that through chanting, knowledge can seep into one’s consciousness on a level beyond the literal meaning of the words. There is a specific method to how verses are structured and categorized, and ...
In this talk, we will explore Vedic chanting through a brief tour of its vast and rich history and its unbroken, endearing tradition. We will also delve into a few of the basic rules of Vedic chanting. We will then learn to chant the exquisite Purusha Suktam from the Rig Veda - the oldest of the ...
As some aspects of Western yoga veer ever further from their South Asian roots (Beer Yoga, anyone?) there is more confusion than ever about which teachings are part of the Indian yoga traditions and which have a Western origin. The very best examples of this confusion center on Tantra and on Chak...
